Genetic, Epigenetic and Post-Transcriptional Regulation. Control of gene expression is fundamentally important to maintaining the homeostatic mechanisms necessary for life. Cells use a variety of different mechanisms to regulate gene expression, including discrete control of transcription initiation, gene silencing and activation through chromatin remodeling, alternative RNA processing and polyadenylation, RNA editing and RNA turnover. To integrate the various areas of gene regulation into a single working group, we have formed the Genetic, Epigenetic, and Post-Transcriptional Regulation Program. The program promotes communication and scientific interaction among its members via a monthly scientific workshop of informal presentation and discussion in which members actively debate current research issues in gene regulation. A second forum for promoting scientific interaction is the use of small pilot research awards to pairs of investigators who are collaboratively working on new and innovative research projects. Nine such projects have been funded through this initiative. The Specific Aims of this program are to: 1) foster interdisciplinary research and intellectual activities among members of this program and the other programs of the Cancer Center; 2) utilize the combined and varied expertise of members of the program for providing novel and exciting approaches to understanding global issues of gene regulation and gene expression; and 3) develop new approaches and tools for the molecular diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Members of this program have expertise in areas that include chromatin, receptor-mediated control of gene regulation, regulation of transcription via tissue and cell-specific transcription factors, small drug interactions with and modulation of DNA and RNA function, cell signaling mechanisms, regulation of RNA processing, and the use of epigenetic tools such as siRNA, and ribozymes to modulate gene expression. It is anticipated that by combining intellectual and experimental studies of gene regulation at the genetic,epigenetic and Post-transcriptional levels, this program can play a major role in the scientific and clinical activities of the Cancer Center. The 12 Full and 8 Associate Members of this program have published 204 articles in journals and books since the last competitive grant review. Of these, 31 are intraprogrammatic, and 56 are interprogrammatic.